


Pas de Deux

by james_minerva



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Ballet, F/M, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Modern
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-22
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:21:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23791492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/james_minerva/pseuds/james_minerva
Summary: When the Black family's traditional viewing of the Nutcracker turns into something more than that, Sirius Black finds himself enamored with a dancer, Remus Lupin Finds himself being charmed by an elite man with charisma and personality, and the two have to navigate through a complicated ballet of love and relationship.
Relationships: James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Comments: 35
Kudos: 58





	1. Overture

From the moment the orchestra struck the first note of the overture, Sirius Black was quite bored. His family’s tradition of seeing the Nutcracker every Christmas time had gotten old. When he was six, he loved watching the dancers tell the story, especially the candy canes. But now, he was twenty six, and could basically hum the entire show from memory.  
He watched as Clara and Fritz fought and as the Nutcracker broke. He smiled softly when Clara threw her shoe at the rat king. He still had to admit that despite the familiarity of it, the show was still enjoyable. Despite his boredom, he knew that it would be fruitless to try and sneak out. With his parents on either side of him in the private box at the theater, he tried his best to look entertained.  
Sirius’s brooding ended abruptly when he heard the first notes of the finale. The Black parents pulled him to his feet and he began clapping eagerly. Just because he found the ballet boring didn’t mean he had no respect for the dancers working so hard to entertain everyone.

The applause grew louder and more of the audience stood up as the Nutcracker Prince and Clara came to the front of the stage. The Prince swept his arm toward Clara where she stood at the edge of the stage, but Sirius’s heart dropped when the Prince stepped into the light. His hair was neat and glowed almost gold in the stage lights, and he moved gracefully as he bowed. Sirius looked around frantically for a program. 

“What are you trying to find, Sirius?” His brother Regulus asked.

“The program,” Sirius replied, patting each of his pockets.

“I don’t think we got one,” their mother said before looking back at the stage. Sirius cursed himself for forgetting.

After the show, everyone filed out into the theater lobby. Sirius let out a noise of confusion when his mother pulled him away from the exits.

“Where are we going?”

“We’re meeting the dancers,” Walburga said over her shoulder. The family walked through the doors to the backstage area and Sirius absentmindedly fixed his perfectly styled hair.

The dancers had left their costumes on, and Sirius made a mental note to compliment the costume department. Ballerinas turned their blinding smiles toward the family as they walked in. Sirius’s heart rate returned to normal as he went around giving gratitude to dancers and the beautiful Prince was nowhere in sight. When the family finished congratulating the dancers on a beautiful performance, Sirius took one last sweep of the stage. He was both disappointed and relieved that he hadn’t run into the prince. He really was never good at flirting with boys.

Walburga looked over her shoulder to make sure he was behind them and he smiled softly. She nodded sharply.

“I’m going to go to the car,” He muttered to her. She nodded.

“We’ll be out in ten minutes.” Sirius dipped his chin in reply and started for the door. He swung the door open and came face to face with the Prince. The man was in a pair of grey sweatpants and looked very surprised to have come face to face with someone other than a dancer. An awkward silence fell between them before Sirius decided to say something.

“You looked beautiful out there.” The man blushed at his words and a smile flickered across his friendly face.

“Thank you so much,” He muttered, still looking at the floor. Sirius offered his hand.

“Sirius Black,” He said. The man looked up to catch Sirius’s grey eyes with his own amber ones.

“Remus Lupin,” The man said, taking Sirius’s hand. Sirius lifted Remus’s hand to his lips and kissed the backs of his fingers, reveling in the blush spreading across Remus’s cheeks. Sirius pulled a scrap of paper and a pen from his coat and scribbled his number.

“Call me sometime,” Sirius murmurs to Remus, pressing the paper into his hand. Remus smirks up at Sirius and ghosts his palm across Sirius’s chest.

“Will do.”


	2. Guests Arrive

The sun rose over the New York skyline, casting lights off the tops of skyscrapers. In his penthouse bedroom, Sirius Black flailed his hand blindly, trying to find the bedside button that’ll shut the curtains. The only flaw of his top-floor apartment was the fact that he tended to sleep till lunchtime, and the sun had to come and ruin that.  
After five minutes of blind searching, Sirius gave up, flopping back down and pulling a pillow over his face. But not five minutes later, his phone dinged and he groaned. He thought that his coworkers knew better than to disturb him before noon.  
Once he found his glasses and plucked his phone from the nightstand, Sirius understood why he had been disturbed so early. His heart leapt to his throat.

“Hey. Breakfast at 10 @ Ann’s? This is Remus, by the way.” Sirius blushed and smiled.

“Of course. See you there, Remus,” Sirius sent back. He flopped back against the seven pillows on his bed and sighed. He looked over to the clock on his nightstand and leapt from his bed as soon as his still-sleepy brain processed that he had twenty minutes to make himself presentable.  
Remus had spent all night thinking about Sirius. Namely, the way his curly, black hair fell softly around his broad shoulders and the way Remus’s small, delicate hands looked in Sirius’s strong ones. Though he would never admit it, Remus wanted to know what it would be like to be picked up by those hands.  
The morning following the performance, Remus thought he could still feel Sirius’s lips against his hand. So Remus rolled out of bed, joints groaning slightly, and found Sirius’s number tucked safely in his sweatshirt pocket. He debated back and forth for ten minutes, before sending out a text. Pressing his hand to his stomach in the hopes of easing his nerves, he waited. It was only eight o’clock and not very many people were morning people like Remus was.  
An hour and forty minutes later, Remus cursed himself for getting his hopes up. He knew that a rich man like Sirius probably didn’t have time for a dancer like him. Remus was just buttoning up his coat to head to Ann’s for a solo breakfast when his phone vibrated. If he hadn’t been so on edge about Sirius’s reply he wouldn’t’ve noticed.

“Of course. See you there, Remus.” Remus blushed at the sincerity of it. He just hoped he could blame his cherry-red face on the cold.

Twenty minutes later, Sirius smoothed a hand over his hair, regretting not tying his hair back. The familiar jingle of the bell over the door soothed some of his nerves. The barista looked over at him and smiled; He came to Ann’s every morning before an important meeting. Pulling his eyes away from the menu, he saw Remus standing at the counter and immediately felt a pull beneath his stomach. The room got ten degrees hotter. Sirius’s eyes dropped to Remus’s legs and allowed himself some time to admire the fact that Remus was wearing leggings.

Remus turned around and noticed Sirius practically undressing him with his eyes. The barista called out Remus’s order and Sirius’s eyes snapped up. Remus smirked as Sirius realized he had been caught, enjoying the way his hand ran self-consciously through his long hair. Sirius slowly and carefully made his way through the array of tables over to an empty table by the window, and Remus set his stuff down opposite him.

“How do you feel today?” Sirius murmurs across the table. Remus smiles softly.

“Pretty sore,” He replies, looking up at Sirius through his eyelashes. Sirius smirks.

“Want me to kiss it to make it better?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the support! I'm so thankful for all of you! I'm planning on there being about 24 chapters and I'm so excited to share this with you.


	3. Toy Soldiers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is so fun! I promise it'll get more interesting after this chapter and I’m planning on the next chapter being twice as long. As always, comments are greatly appreciated. Thank you all so much!

Two hours later, Remus sat at the cafe table, hand delicately placed on his empty coffee mug. Sirius was talking about something, though Remus wasn’t really listening.  
As a child, the only place he really felt comfortable was at his dance studio. The kids at his school targeted him, and though he really had always known he was gay, it still hurt to hear them call him names. Remus never thought he’d be happy because, despite the many gay men in the ballet world, he didn’t want to draw anymore attention to himself. But sitting at a table across from the sweetest, most attractive man he had ever met, Remus really thought he might have a chance at the future he had always wanted, deep down.

“Remus?” Sirius inquired. Remus sat up out of his deep thought. The concerned look on Sirius’s face startled a laugh out of Remus.

“I’m okay. Just thinking.” Sirius visibly relaxed and reached over and squeezed Remus’s graceful fingers. 

“So I’m assuming you heard none of what I said?” Sirius asked, and laughed at the apologetic look on Remus’s face.

“It’s ok. It was just me being nervous, and I tend to be nervous when I’m around pretty boys.” Remus blushed when Sirius said that, and was suddenly aware that their hands were still clasped. Sirius noticed too and cleared his throat.

“Do you want to walk around the city?” Sirius asked. Remus let out a noise of protest. Walking to Ann’s was painful enough; He didn’t think his knees would last for much longer.

“If I’m being honest with you, I don’t think my knees would last more than five minutes,” Remus replied. He quickly realized his day of rest would benefit from Sirius’s company after he watched Sirius’s face fall at his statement.

“But I’d love it if you would keep me company today.” Sirius smiled brightly and Remus knew he made the right choice.

\---

Sirius walked down the street, his hands buried in his pockets. He could feel his nerves flaring up and a knot forming in his stomach. Though he had been on many dates, he felt this one was different somehow.  
An awkward silence fell between them as they stopped to wait to cross the street, until Sirius saw movement out of the corner of his eye and Remus’s hand clasped on to his arm. From what he gathered, Remus’s knee had given out. Sirius made a disapproving noise, feeling both protective and concerned. 

Remus hissed as he straightened up, but sighed as Sirius slipped a supporting arm around his waist. 

“If I would’ve known you hurt, I would’ve just came to you,” Sirius joked. He was a pretty open person, but he figured he’d keep to himself the fact that his heart skipped a beat as Remus leaned into him.

\---

As Remus hobbled along the hallways of his apartment building, still supported by Sirius, he had a fleeting thought of whether or not he had cleaned up. The two bedroom apartment was nothing if not homely, but, compared to what Remus was sure Sirius was used to, it really wasn’t anything special. As they walked on, Remus began noticing flaws everywhere. Some water stains on the carpet, discoloration of the wallpaper, knocked off room numbers.  
Next to him, Sirius cleared his throat. “I believe you told me this is your room?” Remus snorted, embarrassment through the roof.

“Yep. This is home,” he said softly, unlocking and opening the door. They stepped in together, Sirius’s hand still on the curve of Remus’s back. 

When it became apparent that Sirius was waiting for Remus to talk, he cleared his throat. “I know it’s not really what you’re used to, ‘cause I’ve seen the types of apartments people like you have, but-” Remus’s words were cut off by Sirius spinning him around by the hand. 

“It’s beautiful, Remus. And I’m not just saying that cause I like you,” Sirius murmured. Remus scoffed disbelievingly.

“Well, what shall we do today, Mr. Black?” Remus said, looking up at Sirius through long eyelashes. 

“Whatever you want.”

“Whatever I want?” 

Sirius laughed and squeezed Remus’s fingers.


	4. Gifts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm excited about this chapter. But thank you all so much for your support. I love you all!

When you’re rich, everything is top-of-the-line. Expensive sofas, opulent dinner dates, valuable clothes. The same clothes worn at lavish galas held in the name of the Black family where one Sirius Black was expected to be just as high quality as the fancy gowns surrounding him. The seating charts always seemed to have him between his parents to keep his tongue in check and his posture impeccable. The admirable Black family couldn’t have anything ruin their reputation and slouching was almost as bad as being gay. Almost.

However, here Sirius was, doing both, on a scratchy sofa in a tiny apartment his parents wouldn’t be caught dead in. He felt pretty proud to be doing so many things his parents wouldn’t approve of. 

And to add on to the list of things his parents would disapprove of (as affection wasn’t their thing): As soon as he had sat down on said scratchy sofa, he had pulled the ankles of Remus into his lap.

\---

Remus looked across the couch to where Sirius’s large palm rested on his ankle, his index finger on a freckle just above Remus’s ankle bone. The rest of Sirius was about as perfect as his hands. Remus’s eyes trailed up from his palms to the fabric stretched around strong arms and broad shoulders, and the dip in his throat, between sharp collarbones. A thin chain connected from where it was clasped behind his neck to where it was tucked beneath his shirt. Remus really wanted to take that shirt off.

“Remus.” Not a question, but a statement, and not one Remus wanted to hear when the owner of the voice was currently the object of silent pining. Deciding to face his fate, Remus lifted his chin.

“Sirius.”

“You were staring.”

“Yes,” Remus replied nonchalantly. 

Sirius’s eyes flitted briefly downwards before coming back up. “I’d offer to let you see more but I feel like I need to take you to dinner first.” They made eye contact, Remus’s amber eyes locked onto Sirius’s grey ones, and words pushed their way to the tip of Remus’s tongue before he could stop them.

“Of course you can take me to dinner, as long as it’s as soon as possible. I’m not known for my patience.”

\---

The boys had decided that it probably was a good idea to go out again before moving forward. Sirius had always been a wait-till-the-second-date-to-do-anything kind of man, and Remus hadn’t even got this far with anyone so he didn’t know what he liked.

However, they had decided that non-sexual physical contact was not off-limits.This rule was how Remus found himself pressed against Sirius’s side, their ankles tangled together. Sirius was talking about something, and for the second time in a day, Remus wasn’t listening. From where he was tucked under Sirius’s arm and laying against his chest, he couldn’t help but realize how tired he was. The sun shining through the windows had moved across the floor as it grew later in the evening, and Sirius was just so warm. Despite how much he wanted to fall asleep right where he was, he figured it might not be a good impression to fall asleep on his date, especially considering how unimpressed he had acted when he first met Sirius.

Mustering up the last of his energy, he tapped his fingers where they rested on Sirius’s leg. 

“What’s wrong?”

“Tired,” Remus whispered. 

Sirius laughed softly and ruffled Remus’s hair.

“Do you want to sleep on the couch?” Sirius whispered, and as much as Remus wanted to pass out right where he was, he would regret it the next day.

“Bed.” Remus didn’t know what he expected, but the next thing he knew, Sirius pulled him into his chest and stood up, holding Remus like he was nothing. If he wasn’t two seconds away from falling asleep against Sirius’s soft chest, he would’ve been aroused.

“Which door?” 

“Left,” Remus breathed. Sirius pushed the door open slowly and walked Remus over to the bed before laying him down gently. 

Sirius pulled the blankets over Remus, smoothing a hand over his golden curls.

“Anything else?” Sirius murmured. In a state of sleep-induced flirtation, Remus said something that he both wouldn’t remember in the morning and would regret later.

“You can pick me up like that anytime you want.” Sirius laughed, a quiet, genuine sound that Remus wanted to hear again.

“Go to sleep, Re.”

“Okay.” The last thing Remus saw before falling asleep was Sirius leaning against the door frame, smiling softly.

\---

As Remus sniffed and his breathing slowed, Sirius leaned against the door. The orange sunlight filtering through the windows threw a golden glow across the sharp slope of Remus’s cheek. Sirius allowed himself a minute to think about brushing his fingers along that soft skin and the sweet glint of Remus’s golden eyes.

After a minute, Sirius shook his head lightly and pushed away from the door frame. He walked into the living room, and looked around. Off-white fairy lights twinkled above the windows, and he could see the platform of a fire escape just outside. 

But along the wall to his left, he noticed a table, covered with framed pictures. Remus after shows with friends, Remus with his parents, Remus giving an autograph to a fan. After moving the pictures, Sirius found what he was looking for, tucked it into his pocket, and quietly let himself out of Remus’s homely apartment.

\---

The next morning, Remus awoke to a gust of cold air from a window he had forgotten to shut the night before. “That’s weird”, he thought. “I always shut those.” His confusion grew even more when he realized he slept in a shirt. It had been years since he had done that.

It was when he made his second cup of coffee that he remembered what had happened the day prior.

“I fell asleep. On my date. I’ll be lucky if he even wants to see me again,” Remus thought. He threw himself down on the couch and huffed into the pillow. “I have to apologize.” 

“Hey Sirius. I’m sorry about last night. I want you to know that I’d understand if you don’t want anything to do with me. Again, I’m sorry if I made you feel like I was bored. I’d love to see you again though.”

\---

For the second time in a week, Sirius found himself woken up way earlier than he wanted to be awake. He reached blindly for his glasses and his phone and inwardly groaned at the bright light. From what he could tell, it was an apology from Remus about having fallen asleep on their date. Why he was sorry, Sirius had no idea. If anything, it was the cutest first date Sirius had ever been on.

Though he didn’t want to admit it to Remus, Sirius dreamt about him. He dreamt about waking up to Remus’s golden hair and soft skin, kissing him all over, and being able to hold him. He dreamt about holding Remus’s hands and being able to study every plane of Remus’s body thoroughly. He dreamt about being able to call Remus his.

Sirius shook a loose curl out of his face and began to type.

\---

Remus was stress cleaning. He didn’t want to even think about Sirius’s response. He wanted it to work with Sirius. Wanted to wake up with him and fall asleep with him. Wanted to see all of him and wanted to love all of him. Wanted to hold, touch, be held. He wanted Sirius.

The phone buzzed beside him on the table and startled Remus from the couch. One notification from Sirius. His heart leapt to his throat.

“Hey, Remus. First of all, you’re adorable when you’re tired. Second of all, I’d love to take you out for dinner tonight. As long as it’s as soon as possible, of course ;).”

Relief flooded Remus’s chest.

“I’d love for you to take me out to dinner tonight. But why as soon as possible?”

Remus set the phone down on the table and pressed his cool hands to his flushed face. Sirius wanted to see him again. Sirius wanted him. Remus breathed a few breaths of relief and elation before picking up his phone again. Another message from Sirius appeared as he went into his bedroom to lay down for a bit (as he had a habit of freaking out for no reason.

“You really have no idea? Well you definitely have some catching up to do. Does seven work?”


	5. The Nutcracker

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much! I'm really enjoying this. As always comments are welcome. Enjoy!

It was 6:50 and Remus was pacing in his living room. In the bliss of seeing Sirius again, he realized that he owned nothing nearly as nice as Sirius owned. So, he settled on nice jeans, a rust orange sweater (that he had mended many times), and some boots, and prayed that he wouldn’t look out of place.

It was 6:50 and Remus realized that he was going to be late for his date.

As he hurried down the sidewalk, he realized that it smelled like rain. Or it smelled like it was going to rain. He walked faster.

\---

Sirius stood outside the door of his favorite dinner spot.. Every so often, he lifted onto the balls of his feet and looked down the sidewalk. 

It was 7:01 and Remus was nowhere to be seen. It was only one minute, but a sickening feeling started on Sirius’s tongue and slid all the way down to his stomach. It started raining.

No later than Sirius felt the first drop of water on his heated face, he saw Remus rush around the corner. Water fell faster as Remus got closer and Sirius began to move towards him, slowly at first, and then he said a silent oh well for his shoes and ran to meet Remus in the middle. They closed the distance and Remus threw his arms around Sirius’s neck with such energy that it startled a laugh from both of them.

“You didn’t have to run to me, Re,” Sirius said, sliding his palms to Remus’s waist.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” Remus murmured. He pressed his palms flat against Sirius’s chest and looked up at him. Remus wanted to swim in the deep grey of Sirius’s eyes, get lost in the expanse of his palms.

“Do you want to go inside?” Sirius asked. Remus twirled one of Sirius’s loose curls around his finger.

“Absolutely.”

Their fingers intertwine.

\---

Remus played with the hem of his sweater. He had a perfect view of the restaurant guests from where they were standing, and he realized he was terribly underdressed. Guests dazzled in dark evening gowns and tailored suits, and even Remus’s expensive boots looked out of place. He looked down at his shoes, hoping Sirius wasn’t embarrassed by him. Beside him, he heard Sirius give his last name to the tall woman at the front desk. She said something Remus didn’t hear, and Sirius nudged Remus gently with his shoulder.

“Ready?” Remus nodded minutely. Sirius lifted Remus’s chin with his palm and smiled a secret smile. Remus’s heart flipped.

\---

Sirius led Remus to their table, a small little table looking out the window and over the restless river. The little candle flickering in the middle of the table cast a faint gold light across their still-intertwined hands as they sat down. 

“Remus.” Startled, Remus met Sirius’s gaze. “What’s wrong? You’ve been off all evening.” Sirius looked concerned and Remus found it sweet. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words came out high-pitched and breathy.

“Nothing’s wrong.” Sirius arched an eyebrow at that, and Remus regretted trying to lie to Sirius.

“I don’t believe you. If it’s me I want to know what I’m doing wrong,” Sirius said earnestly. Remus sighed and looked at the white tablecloth.

“Am I embarrassing you? Being here, dressed like this?” Remus said, hoping Sirius wouldn’t notice the tremble in his voice. Sirius clasped both of Remus’s hands in his own. The sheer sincerity of it made Remus blush darkly in the candlelight.

“Remus. Nothing you could say or do would embarrass me. But I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. I think we should leave,” Sirius said. Remus shook his head.

“I just don’t want to ruin our date. We shouldn’t leave just because I can’t dress like these people.”

Just then, the waiter came by. 

“Do you need anything?” He asked. Sirius shook his head and stood up.

“I think we’re just going to leave,” Sirius said, and looked back at Remus. The waiter nodded and left. Remus took Sirius’s outstretched hand and stood up. He started to walk but he found himself pulled into Sirius’s chest.

“If you need anything, tell me. I’ll do anything for you,” Sirius whispered. Remus laughed out of shock. He didn’t know what to say, so he settled for rising up his toes and pressing a delicate kiss to Sirius’s cheek.

“My apartment or yours?”

“Yours, Remus.”

\---

The rain began to fall faster just as the apartment building came into view. By the time they reached the door, they were drenched. As they walked along the warm hallway, they began shedding their jackets.

“I have a shirt you can borrow,” Remus said when they stopped at his door.

“That’d be nice. Mine’s a little-” Sirius slid his hand around Remus’s waist, “wet.” 

Remus blushed and pushed the door open.

Sirius closed the door behind them and hung his soaked jacket on the coat hook, before walking into Remus’s bedroom. Remus slid his boots off by the door and followed. 

“I don’t think any of your shirts would fit me,” Sirius said, holding up a shirt that barely fit Remus. 

Remus laughed, partially at the confused look on Sirius’s face, and partially at the tiny blue top that clashed with the whole windswept-and-rainsoaked look Sirius had going on.

“I’ll find something,” Remus replied. He dug through his dresser, with little luck. But at the bottom of the drawer, he found an old t-shirt from a show he did back at his old dance studio. It was a large. He tossed the shirt to Sirius.

“Try this one.”

“Thanks.” And before Remus knew it, Sirius was unbuttoning his wet shirt. He watched as Sirius’s fingers slipped over each button and as the shirt slid off his broad shoulders. The white fabric fell to the ground and Sirius looked up. As Sirius’s eyes met his, Remus realized that his sweater was still plastered to his skin.

As Remus began sliding the sweater from his arms, Sirius caught a sight of his toned stomach and some sharp hip bones Sirius wanted to touch. So he crossed the room to Remus.

Sirius grasped the wet wool and helped Remus pull it over his head. Remus’s heart hammered in his chest at the sight of Sirius so close to him. The wave of desire to touch was replaced with a stronger wave of realization that Remus could touch. So he did. His palms slid from Sirius’s wrists to his strong shoulders, before winding around his neck. They were chest to chest, Remus’s skin on fire from the press of Sirius’s large hands on his hips.

“Can I kiss you, Remus?” Sirius whispered slowly. The room got about ten degrees hotter, and Remus looked up.

“Yes,” he breathed. And Sirius did. He kissed sweetly, and Remus realized that he wanted to spend the rest of forever kissing Sirius. It was perfect. As they pulled apart, Remus brushed his fingers across Sirius’s throat.

“Your heart is beating so fast,” Remus whispered against the soft skin beneath Sirius’s jaw.

“You have that effect on me.” At that, Remus kissed Sirius again, feeling Sirius’s hands against his back. After they pulled away, Sirius went into the living room to change. The risk of passing out at the sight of Remus’s legs was not something Sirius wanted. 

Once Sirius had stripped out of his soaked pants, he realized that he didn’t have any extra pants just as Remus stepped out of his bedroom in soft pajama shorts and a faded t-shirt.

“I really don’t think any of your pants would fit me,” Sirius says, laughing awkwardly.

“I don’t mind this,” Remus murmurs, eyes sweeping obviously down the line of Sirius’s body. Sirius could feel his face burn, and he crossed the room to where Remus stood.

“What should we do…” Remus trailed off as Sirius placed his hands on Remus’s waist and squeezed.

“I have an idea,” Sirius whispered, and Remus gasped in surprise as Sirius lifted him against his chest.

“Do you remember what you said to me right before you fell asleep yesterday?” Sirius murmured, pressing a kiss to Remus’s throat and making him sigh softly.

“You said I could pick you up like this anytime. Which I plan on doing,” Sirius pressed his forehead to Remus’s as he spoke.

“I stand by that statement,” Remus gasped. Sirius pressed open-mouthed kisses down the curve of Remus’s neck.

Outside, the rain continued to pour, and the city lights seemed to shine a little brighter than before.


	6. Guests Depart

Remus and Sirius stood side by side in the kitchen, elbows bumping. In the midst of their new-found love for kissing each other, they had realized that they had skipped dinner, and were really quite hungry. So Remus decided to make the only thing he was good at making.

“This is probably the best grilled cheese I’ve ever had,” Sirius announced. “You should make these for me every day.” 

“I’m glad you like it. It’s really the only thing I’m good at. Besides dancing, of course,” Remus said offhandedly, turning to put their plates in the sink. Sirius scoffed and pulled Remus toward him, hand steady on Remus’s hip.

“You and I both know that that’s not true,” Sirius whispered against Remus’s neck. The soft fabric of Sirius’s borrowed shirt crumpled in Remus’s hand as he reached out to steady himself. The warmness of Sirius’s palms on his hips matched the heat pooling in Remus’s stomach.

“Oh really? What else am I good at?” Remus said as jokingly as he could when he was pressed against the counter. Sirius looked at him for a second, and then brought Remus’s hand up with his own. He guided Remus’s hand to the expanse of his throat. Beneath his fingertips, Remus could feel the fluttering beat of Sirius’s heart. His fingers stayed there for a moment before Remus leaned forward to press his lips softly to where his fingers had rested, lavishing in the way Sirius’s head fell back.

“What do you want, Sirius?” Remus whispered. A breeze from the window swept through and tousled the curls on Remus’s head, and a moment later, Sirius tangled his fingers in Remus’s golden hair. 

“You.” Remus tilted his chin up as Sirius pulled lightly on his hair. Their noses brushed for a second, then Remus whispered, “I want you, too,” against Sirius’s lips. As their lips connected, Remus was vaguely aware that he was being lifted onto the cool counter. 

“I’m not doing this on the kitchen counter, Sirius,” he said, secretly disappointed to have stopped kissing, but not wanting to clean the counter again. Sirius moved between Remus’s thighs.

“Where would you like to do this then?” For a moment, Remus couldn’t answer the question, because all he could focus on was Sirius. The feeling of Sirius’s fingertips tracing lightly over the inside of his thighs beneath his pajama shorts left him breathless. But he couldn’t wait much longer.

“Bed,” Remus managed to gasp. Sirius smirked and pulled Remus’s legs around him and picked him up for the second time that night. Not that Remus minded.

Sirius carried him gently to his bedroom. When they stopped at the bed and Remus fell back, Sirius’s hands were there to steady him. Remus moved back on the bed and let Sirius climb over top of him. Sirius settled his weight over Remus’s hips and placed his fingertips just beneath the hem of Remus’s shirt.

“I want to see you,” Sirius murmured, tugging lightly at Remus’s shirt. The feeling of Sirius’s hands on his stomach made Remus’s heart beat even faster.

“Sirius.” The blankets scrunched beneath Remus’s hand as Sirius moved his palms up beneath his shirt, but Remus couldn’t let him without saying something. 

As much as it pained him to say it, Remus opened his mouth. “I think we should wait.”

“Wait?”

“Wait. To do this. It’s not that I don’t want it, because I definitely do, but I want to take you on a proper date, you know?” Remus pressed a kiss to Sirius’s palm. “One where I don’t freak out and get us caught in the rain.”

Sirius shifted sideways and pulled Remus against his side, and he promptly buried his face in the golden curls. “Of course. Whatever you want.” Remus felt a shift in the atmosphere and turned his chin up to Sirius.

“You’re not disappointed are you?”

“What makes you think I would be?”

“I-“ Remus stopped and sighed, trying to place his words carefully. “I don’t want you to feel like I’m leading you on. I want to do this. With you. I just want to wait until we do this whole dating thing right.”

The silence in the room was thick with anticipation. Remus watched Sirius’s face, hoping for a sign that he said the right thing.

“And we are?” He finally said. 

“We are what?” Sirius laughed at this, as though it was the most obvious thing.

“We are dating?” Sirius asked. Remus rolled his eyes fondly.

“If you’ll have me,” he said, and Sirius sat up.

“Well then. Remus?”

“Sirius?”

“Will you go on another date with me?” Sirius took Remus’s hands into his own.

“That depends. Are you going to take me to another super-fancy restaurant?” Remus asked, pretending to think about it, when all his brain was screaming was yes, yes, I’ll go on another date with you, I’d do anything for you.

“I’ll take you on a date to your kitchen for grilled cheeses if it means that you’re happy,” Sirius said, and the sincere look on his face made Remus feel so deeply that he leaned forward to press his lips to Sirius’s. The kiss was long and sweet and wrapped Remus up like a sweater, and it was right then that he realized that he was falling for the beautiful man in front of him. Some little place in his brain was telling him that it had only been three days; That he couldn’t know for sure, but Remus brushed those thoughts off and allowed himself to be kissed. Once Remus was sure his heart was going to explode from the warmth radiating throughout the room, he pulled back, secretly admiring Sirius’s kiss-bruised lips.

“So is that a yes? Can I take you out again?” 

“Of course it’s a yes. I’d love to,” Remus laughed, and Sirius laughed along with him, pulling him tightly into an embrace. Remus felt Sirius drop a kiss into his hair, and suddenly, Remus realized that he fit perfectly, right where he was. In the arms of a beautiful man whose love for him swept him off his feet, surrounded him completely and knocked the wind out of him. 

—-

After a long and sweet make out session in which one Remus Lupin managed to kiss Sirius Black completely speechless, the rain finally stopped, and the rain-soaked clothes hanging along the living room wall had finally dried. And it was time for Remus to let Sirius go. Two days was all he had to wait, but after tonight, that didn’t seem possible.

Remus leaned against the door of his bedroom, watching Sirius pull on his stiff dinner clothes. When Sirius went to button up, Remus clicked his tongue and walked over to him.

“Let me do that.” And when Remus began buttoning his shirt with such care, Sirius hoped that, if for only a second, he could wake up to Remus every day for the rest of his life.

And suddenly all of the domestic things made sense. Sirius waking up to Remus cooking breakfast. Remus kissing Sirius on his way out the door to go to the studio. Remus being his lover, his partner. 

“It’s only been a few days,” A voice said, somewhere between his mind and his heart, “but it feels like I’ve known him forever.”

Sirius was pulled from his thoughts by Remus pressing his palms against his chest.

“What are you thinking about?” Remus asked softly, looking up at Sirius through long eyelashes. Those eyelashes would be the death of Sirius. He could see it: Sirius Black, the man whose weakness was when pretty boys batted their eyelashes at him.

“You,” Sirius said plainly. The implication of those words made Remus flush a beautiful shade of pink. Sirius decided to make a change to his gravestone: Sirius Black. the man whose weakness was when pretty boys blushed.

“If you keep saying things like that, I’m never going to let you go.”

“Would that be such a bad thing?” And before he knew it, Sirius was looking into bottomless golden eyes.

“Don’t say that.”

“It’s true.”

“I know it’s true, but you’re not making it any easier for me to say goodnight,” Remus sighed. Sirius nodded.

“Walk me out?”

“Of course, Sirius.”

—-

They kissed in the elevator, and along the sleepy hallway. The kisses were slow and reverent, like they had all the time in the world. And they both hoped they did.

The night ended with Sirius and Remus out in the street, saying goodbyes and making promises to call before their next date. The night ended with Remus tilting his chin up for one final kiss from Sirius.

The night ended with a final brush of fingertips and the promise of sweeter, brighter days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can find me on tumblr at james-minerva. Thanks for reading, and, as always, comments are appreciated!


	7. Clara's Dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dashes usually mean flashbacks.

The rain had started again. It wasn’t as heavy as it had been, but Sirius’s collar stuck to his skin. Everytime he closed his eyes, he could see Remus’s beautiful golden eyes and the drops of rain clinging to his eyelashes. He already missed the feeling of the skin-to-skin contact, and his throat still burned from the feeling of Remus’s fingertips. At the end of the block, Sirius turned back to the building. From the fire escape, a figure waved, and Sirius waved back, before turning out of sight.

\---

-You deserve happiness, too, baby, his mother says. She kisses his cheeks and his forehead and whispers softly. The tears stop slowly and eight-year-old Remus finally falls asleep.-

Remus had never believed her before. Of course everyone deserved happiness. But her words made sense that night, after Sirius left. He deserved happiness, and that night, he realized what true happiness felt like.

Crawling in through the window, he walked softly across the floor. The floors were thin and it was nearly midnight, which Remus could hardly believe. Time had flown by, and if it had gone by so quickly, he had hope for the next two days he had to wait. Since he had been around the city with Sirius, his life pre-Sirius seemed boring. 

Remus made it to the door and locked it. His fingertips lingered on the doorknob for a second before he turned away. As he went to close the window, a pile of white fabric draped over the couch caught his eye. He picked it up and realized that it was the shirt Sirius had borrowed. His surprisingly smoky scent still clung to the shirt, and Remus inhaled deeply, feeling something in his chest spark. Tucked in the pocket was a business card, all professional and sharp. But on the back, in a messy swirl of letters, it read thank you for tonight. Remus pressed his thumb to the heart next to Sirius’s name. He felt shaky with elation. 

That night it was hard for Remus to sleep, but when he did, he saw Sirius’s bright smile and tender hands in his dreams.

He supposed it was because he slept in Sirius’s shirt.

—-

Sirius’s apartment was cold and empty. There was no soft carpet to greet him, no twinkling fairy lights, no smiling man to pull him into his arms and welcome him home. Sirius knew that that was what was wrong with his apartment. There was no denying it was large and expensive and technical, but it didn’t feel like home. It was white and bare.

And lonely.

Sirius walked around, locking doors. He hadn’t even turned the lights on. From his window he could see the city skyline, but he knew his apartment faced away from Remus’s window. Of all the windows he could see, the most important one was just out of sight.

The marble counter in the bathroom chilled his hands. He rinsed the toothpaste out of his mouth and looked up at himself in the mirror.

His hair was tangled from Remus’s fingers and the wind. His pupils were still wide and he was shaky with adrenaline. Despite all that, he still looked softer, more relaxed, than he had in a long time. Turning to hang a discarded towel on a rack, he noticed a red mark blooming on the sensitive skin of his throat. The mark brought back memories of fingertips hovering over his skin. Vulnerable but safe.

Sirius pressed his fingers to the mark, feeling the blood pulse beneath the surface. 

Two days. He could wait two days. But he didn’t want to.

-You can’t date boys, Sirius. Our family would be disgraced. You need to provide an heir, Walburga says. Sirius doesn’t listen. He flips the collar of his leather jacket up and walks straight back out of the house. The night is like a cold slap on his cheeks, and despite the tears freezing on his cheeks, his face is steady and calm. He knew this was coming. 

James opens the door to Sirius looking windswept and kicked-in, and the only look Sirius sees on the face on the other side of the door is sympathy. He’s welcomed with open arms and all the love he never got.

You can date boys, Sirius. You aren’t a disgrace. You don’t owe anything to your old family. We’re so proud of you, James’s parents say. It’s the first time Sirius hears these things, and for the first time in his life, he’s finally found his family. He can be happy now.-

The blinds in his bedroom were open and the shadows thrown around the room added to the chill. Sirius wished he still had Remus’s shirt. The only thing it smelled like in his apartment was his smoky aftershave.

He crawled into bed, shivering at the cold and untouched sheets. The silk was so cold compared to the quilt on the bed he had laid Remus down on just an hour earlier.

“I’m never going to be able to sleep if all I think about is Remus,” Sirius whispered to himself. All that responded was the echo of his voice.

Half an hour later, he still laid awake. Lonely space surrounded him and he longed for warmth, the gentle touch of a golden hand. He sighed and pulled himself out of the bed, heading for the pocket holding his wallet. Flipping through the slots, he passed pictures and IDs and cards, but not what he really wanted at that point. But in the second to last slot, he found what he was looking for. It was what he had taken off the table the night he had carried Remus to bed.

It was a polaroid picture. Small and rough around the edges. The picture had been taken from behind and slightly to the right of Remus, who was sitting in a chair in front of a dressing room mirror. The lights were dark except for the glowing bulbs surrounding the mirror. He looked young, maybe twenty or twenty one, and had delicate lines of eyeliner on, which made something stir in Sirius’s chest. Remus’s nervous-looking face was reflected in the mirror, as well as the top of the costume he was wearing. He looked like a prince. 

And Sirius supposed that that was exactly what he was.

For a picture so small, it looked so alive. The blush across Remus’s face was bright, the light in his eyes fiery and alive. Sirius sighed and stroked his thumb over the picture as if to soothe the worry lines on younger-Remus’s face. He made to put the picture back, but slipped it into the pocket of his sleep shorts instead.

That night, though they were two miles apart, they slept the best they had in months. The worrying about business and money seemed so trivial when Sirius could be thinking about Remus and his golden glow. The anxiety of choreography and performances seemed so useless to Remus compared to thinking about Sirius and his smile.

Some say that when one can’t sleep, it’s because they are awake in someone else’s dream. But that night, Sirius and Remus found each other in a dream. They danced, held each other, and watched the stars travel across the sky together. Back in the real world, they curled around the reminders of each other, two parentheses enclosing two miles and a world of possibilities between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so excited about how this is going! This one's a little shorter but I like where it ended. I hope you enjoy. Comments welcome and appreciated!


	8. The Battle Scene

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a little longer than usual but I promise the next chapter will have the good fluff. Enjoy!

The sun rose, and though it usually woke Remus up, he hadn’t slept. Time had slowed and he swore it would come to a stop at some point. 

But the day had finally arrived. Remus was finally going to see Sirius again. 

Remus rolled out of bed to get ready for his morning classes. He started to pull the covers straight on his bed, but he saw a glint of white in the sheets. It was the card with Sirius’s signature on it. He blushed slightly, realizing he had slept with it, and placed it securely in a box on his bedside table. The dance attire drawer in his dresser was a mess and he struggled to find something, but settled on some lilac shorts and the shirt Sirius’s scent still lingered on.

He had an hour in between class and his date. He could make it home to change before he saw Sirius.

Double checking his bag and his clock, he rushed out the door, nervous butterflies fluttering in his stomach. 

—-

Sirius had slept fitfully. His joints ached from the cold and though he usually could sleep through anything, he awoke to a pigeon singing outside his open window.

His day was off to a poor start. But as he stretched, he looked over to his nightstand. The picture of Remus was still there, and the fire it lighted in Sirius’s chest was all he needed to get him up for the day.

The clock read 9:30. From what Remus had told him the night prior, Remus was in class. What Sirius wouldn’t give to be able to watch him. Remus was good, but something told Sirius that Remus was even better than what he had seen. It probably had something to do with the fact that Sirius secretly wanted to see Remus in shorts.

From beside him on the table, Sirius’s phone buzzed. A notification from James. 

“I had plans for today but they fell through. What are you doing this afternoon?” Sirius sighed. On one hand, he was looking forward to Remus; Specifically the things they could do alone. But James was basically his brother. 

“I have a date today. We’re supposed to go to the park, but you can come.”

Two minutes later, his phone buzzed. And buzzed again. And kept buzzing. From where he was at the counter getting more coffee, Sirius groaned. 

“A date??!!!”

“With who??”

“Is he cute? Or at least funny?? I’m not getting a brother-in-law who’s boring, Sirius.” Sirius’s heart swooped at the word “brother-in-law”. The thought of marrying Remus sent his heart speeding.

“Yes, he’s cute and funny. Do you remember the Nutcracker cast this year?” Both Sirius and James had gone that year, just on separate nights.

“Yeah, why?? Was he in it??”

“Do you remember the prince?” Sirius set his phone down and walked to put his dishes away. But he didn’t get far before he heard his phone ring. He laughed when he saw it was James, and answered.

“Sirius.” He sounded like he had just woken up by the rasp to his voice. 

“James.” 

“You. Are going on a date. With the man who played the prince.”

“Yes, James.”

“A man who dances with one of the most famous ballet companies?”

“His name is Remus.” Sirius felt like he was in a dream. It finally hit him that he was dating one of the best ballet dancers in the country.

“How long have you been dating?” James asked, and Sirius could tell he really wanted to know.

“I asked him out after the show which was… a week ago? Well, when I say it like that it feels like not that long ago.” 

James was quiet on the other side, and Sirius realized he was waiting for him to keep talking.

“It feels like I’ve known him for so long, James. Like we talk and it’s so natural. I want to spend every waking hour with him. I want to wake up to him and fall asleep next to him and I want to make him breakfast and take him on walks and learn everything about him. And I’m worried if I tell him I’ll scare him away. It’s been a week and I feel like this. James, I have no idea what to do.”

James pulls in a breath over the line.

“Christmas is coming up, yeah? You’ll be away from each other for, what, a week? You’ll know by then and I’m sure he will too.” Sirius knew he was right, and relaxed back into his chair.

“You’re right.”

“‘Course I am.” Sirius’s scoff made James laugh.

“I love you, Sirius.”

“I love you too, James.”

“Oh, and Sirius?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m coming to meet this boy today.”

“Ok, James. Three o’clock.”

“I’ll be there.”

Sirius put the phone down and sank back in his chair. The smile on his face hurt. It was ten o’clock and Sirius decided to take a shower.

He knew that half of his shower time would involve staring at the hickey on his neck, but he still headed for the bathroom. 

The hot water soothed his joints and warmed his core. He pulled the tangles out of his long hair, scrubbed his skin pink. Closing his eyes, he saw Remus. 

Remus, spread out and glowing, beneath his hands. 

Fifteen minutes later, Sirius stepped out of the shower, grateful nobody heard him cry out Remus’s name as he came.

—-

From the window just next to him at the wall barre, Remus watched the sun rise in the sky. Just three more hours, and one of those hours was lunch. Then he’d see Sirius again. 

As the class went on, Remus found it harder to pay attention to the teacher. It didn’t help that the teacher’s voice could put anyone to sleep. 

The clock on the wall read 11:55. Grande allegro to finish (which was his favorite). The teacher dismissed them and Remus walked over to thank Lily, the pianist.

He rested his elbows on the piano and watched her pack her stuff. She looked over her shoulder, pushing her long red hair out of her face, and smiled.

“Anything planned for after dance?” She asked. 

“I’ve got a date, actually,” Remus said, groaning inwardly at drawing attention to himself. Lily stood up and looked at him.

“What?”

“You’ve got a date?”

“Yeah.”

“How long have you known this man?” Remus shrunk a little under her frighteningly maternal gaze.

“Um. A week? Which doesn’t sound like long, but-“ He sighed, “I really like him.”

“That’s good, Remus,” Lily said sweetly. 

“Enough about me. If I don’t eat in the next ten minutes I am going to get snappy.” Lily laughed.

“I’m serious.”

“Of course you are, Remus.” They linked arms and walked out of the studio.

Twenty minutes later, the threat of Remus getting snappy was gone. He sat across from Lily at a small table overlooking the city. They ate in silence until Remus’s phone buzzed in his pocket. A message from Sirius.

“So one of my friends decided he’s coming with us to the park. I’m so sorry but I’ll get rid of him after and make it up to you.” 

Remus blushed dark red. 

“Remus? Are you okay?”

“How do you feel about coming to the park with me today?”

—-

Sirius was antsy. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t sit for longer than five minutes. His excuses to get up and walk around became more and more random after every minute.

It was 1:45 and he was sure he’d die.

That was when he had an idea.

—-

When the teacher dismissed them from their final class, Remus all but ran to his stuff. After nearly losing his balance when putting his pants on, he ran down the ten flights of stairs and burst out onto the sidewalk. He turned to walk home but he heard a familiar voice call his name and he blushed out of embarrassment.

“What are you doing here, Sirius?” He asked as the man appeared next to him.

“Should I not be?” Sirius sounded uncertain.

“I’m glad you’re here, don’t get me wrong.” Remus replied, lifting his chin to look at Sirius. “I just kind of look like this.” He gestured to his mismatched clothes.

“Well, can I walk you home?” 

“Of course.”

Remus’s heart gave a weak flutter as their fingers intertwined. After waiting, they were finally back together. 

They got back to Remus’s apartment, which was cold. Without even going into his bedroom, he peeled off his sweatpants and the heavy sweatshirt he had on. Using his t-shirt, he wiped some of the sweat off his face.

“So that’s what you wear.”

Remus froze and looked down. In the moment, he had forgotten that he had stripped down to skin tight shorts and Sirius’s shirt. In front of Sirius.

They locked eye contact for a second, before Sirius’s grey eyes tracked slowly down Remus’s body.

Two days of waiting burst out of Remus and he surged forward, pushing Sirius backwards over the couch arm and landing on top of him. 

“You don’t mind me wearing your shirt, do you?” Remus asked, hands on either side of Sirius’s head.

“That’s your shirt.”

“It smells like you.” 

“Are you going to kiss me or not?” Sirius asked, arching an eyebrow. Remus laughed and did what Sirius had asked.


	9. Departure

Remus turned to look at the clock, or tried to turn as best as he could with his lip between Sirius’s teeth. He turned back to kiss Sirius one last time and pulled away.

“It’s 2:55,” Remus said before sitting up. Sirius groaned and threw his hands over his head, arching his back. Remus blushed and stood up.

“James is probably waiting for me.”

“Well, he’s probably not alone,” Remus said, purposefully not looking at Sirius.

“Did you invite someone?”

“Her name is Lily and if James is anything like you described him, they’re probably fighting right now.” Sirius groans.

“Well.”

“Yep.” Sirius paused, before sitting up to kiss Remus once more. Remus laughed, a small and breathy exhale, and turned to go put clothes on.

And when Sirius followed him, he managed to send a “we might be late” text to Lily before the door closed behind them.

—-

In the park, passersby turned their heads to look at what they assumed was the brunette-and-redhead couple arguing beneath a tree.

“So do you just flirt with everything that moves?” Lily snapped.

“I wasn’t flirting.” James crossed his arms and Lily scoffed at the way he acted like an angry child.

“Oh, really?”

“You wouldn’t know flirting if it bit you in the ass, Evans.” Lily turned, eyes flaming, to say something snappy back, but Sirius and Remus raced around the corner. Lily and James stepped apart quickly.

“Sorry we’re late, we-“ Remus started to say but Lily cut him off.

“Judging by the marks on your neck that you hid very poorly, I think we can tell exactly what you were doing,” Lily said. The other boys looked alarmed but Remus heard the fondness in her voice. Still, he shifted his sweater to cover his neck a bit more.

—-

After a short walk in the park and a goodbye to the very obviously aroused Sirius and Remus, Lily and James turned to each other.

“It sucked meeting you,” Lily said, sticking her hand out.

“I’m sorry for making you uncomfortable,” James replied, shaking her hand. Lily rolled her eyes and pulled a marker out of her bag. She wrote something on James’s wrist.

“Call me,” she said, turning to leave the park. James caught her hand.

“What?” she asked.

“Should we spy on their next date?” he replied. She looked at him and smiled.

“Now that’s what I’m talking about,” she said, high-fiving him.

—-

Sirius and Remus walked down the street holding hands.

“Where do you want to go?” Sirius asked as they passed Ann’s.

“Who’s place is closer?” Remus’s voice was thick and he seemed to pull Sirius even faster.

“Mine.”

“Let’s go to yours.”

“But you don’t have any clothes,” Sirius said, unable to keep up with Remus despite Sirius being almost a foot taller. Remus slowed down just enough to look at Sirius, and his breath caught. Remus’s pupils were blown wide and the desperate gleam caused something to stir deep in Sirius’s stomach.

“Do I look like I care about that right now?” Remus half spoke half gasped. Sirius just swallowed and walked faster. 

The streets were packed with people and they maneuvered through the crowds. Eventually, Remus slowed down to follow Sirius, who took them into a tall and fancy building that Remus felt too poor to even be allowed near. Sirius nodded to the lady at the front desk and she pressed a button that opened the elevator doors.

The sliding doors closed behind them and as the elevator moved upwards, they looked at each other. It was then that Sirius noticed the well-placed bag in front of Remus’s upper thighs. He reached out to touch the skin of his neck, stopping as Remus shook his head.

“Not here. Inside.” With every word, it seemed harder for them to breathe.

Finally, the doors opened directly into Sirius’s apartment. Remus led the way in and threw his stuff onto a couch. 

“Do you have to dance tomorrow?” Sirius asked.

“No.”

“Good.” Sirius smirked. Remus blushed and Sirius opened his mouth to say something, but Remus pulled him in by the collar. After all, you can’t tease someone if their tongue is in your mouth.

—-

They kissed in the middle of the room. It was deep and passionate and slow, nothing like their first kiss. Remus rose onto the balls of his feet but Sirius just picked him up. Wrapping his legs around Sirius’s waist, he felt a hand slide into his hair and pull, giving Sirius access to his throat. His breath came in pants as Sirius worked his way up to his jawline.

“You want to do this now?” Sirius asked, seeking permission.

“Yes.” It came out breathy and high pitched and he would have been embarrassed, but Sirius just sighed happily against his neck and walked them to his bedroom. Remus made quick work of his shirt and tugged Sirius’s off too.

Sirius laid him gently on the bed and began kissing up the line of his inner thigh, pushing Remus’s shorts up. The feeling of Sirius’s mouth on his thigh sent his heart racing. 

It was slow and deep, and then all of a sudden, it overwhelmed them. It started as a marathon and ended as a sprint and they went all the way past the finish line.

—-

They laid side by side, the blue glow of the moon casting shadows across their faces. Remus had his head tucked against Sirius’s side. From across the room, the city lights reflected off of buildings rising high in the sky and the stars blinked outside the window. Remus had never realized how warm Sirius was. 

“I’m so tired,” Remus whispered, laughing softly. Sirius just threaded his fingers in Remus’s hair.

“Then go to sleep, baby.” The city noise is drowned out a little as Remus was pulled into Sirius’s chest. His curls tickled Sirius’s chin.

Remus shifted a bit. “Mhmm,” he sighed, causing Sirius’s heart to flutter. Their legs tangled together under the blankets. It was warm and soft and everything.

High above the streets, Sirius realized that he loved Remus.

They fell asleep around the same time, but Sirius took time to study Remus’s softened face and parted lips before falling asleep too.

—-

For someone who prided themselves on their common sense, Remus had really left his eight o clock alarm on. So, at eight in the morning, the piercing ring of his alarm rang out through the apartment, frightening both of them awake. They both swore considerably before Remus leapt out of bed to shut it off. From where he was standing across the room, Remus watched Sirius flop back on the bed and threw his hands over his face.

“Wha’time’sit?” Remus hears from somewhere in the blankets. He looks at his phone.

“Eight o’ one.” Sirius let out the biggest groan Remus had ever heard and sat up. He rummaged around in his nightstand drawer, and Remus was confused until he pulled out-

“You wear glasses?”

“Reading glasses.” Sirius put them on his face, and it took all of Remus’s willpower to not melt into a puddle and join the sun flowing through the window. “I don’t wear them very often.”

“You should.” Sirius looked confused. “You should wear them more often, I mean,” Remus finished. At the implication of these words, Sirius smirked. 

“So you like them? I never would have guessed you had a thing for glasses, Remus,” Sirius said, slowly getting out of the bed and walking to Remus. As the spaces between them lessened, Remus swallowed thickly. He felt large palms settle on his waist, squeezing slight, and he sighed involuntarily.

Sirius was a sight to behold. Between his long dark hair tied up in a messy bun and the thick frames that somehow made his eyes look even better, Remus had no idea how he had even survived before Sirius. He ran his hands along the soft fabric stretched across Sirius’s chest. 

Remus was suddenly pushed back against the table. He shifted to sit on the surface and looked up at Sirius.

“Whatever you want, baby,” Remus whispered, and Sirius nuzzled his neck before slowly undressing them both.

They moved from the table to the couch, and then to the shower. Sirius was sure he’d die when Remus tilted his head back to rinse his hair. He would have leaned down to kiss his throat if he hadn’t been worried about Remus getting a lungful of water. He just settled for looking.

In the golden sunlight, they lounged on the couch, wrapped in fluffy white towels. Remus could barely pull his eyes away from the heated, blushing skin of Sirius’s bare chest. The feeling of being there next to him overwhelmed Remus, suffocated him and made him aware at the same time.

On the back of the couch, their intertwined hands rested, glowing gold in the sun.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are welcome and appreciated and I hope you enjoy it! You can find me on tumblr at the username james-minerva!


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